Device for cleaning slatted structures such as venetian blinds and the like



July 24, 1962 J. c. DELACRETAZ DEVICE FOR CLEANING SLATTED STRUCTURES SUCH AS VENETIAN BLINDS AND THE LIKE Filed Sept. 5, 1961 United States Patent 3,045,275 DEVICE FOR CLEANING SLATTED STRUCTURE SUCH AS VENETIAN BLINDS AND TIE LIKE Jean C. Delacretaz, 26 N. Roosevelt St., North Cohurg, near Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Filed Sept. 5, 1961, Ser. No. 135,882 10 Claims. (Cl. 15-669) This invention relates to an improved device for cleaning slatted structures such as Venetian blinds and the like, and in particular relates to a device for attachment to a source of suction such as a vacuum cleaner.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a device which will clean the slats of Venetian blinds in an eflicient easy manner.

It is also an object of the invention to provide such a device which will be capable of use to clean a plurality of slats at one time and which will effectively clean the slats behind the tapes of a blind.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision in the device of easily removable cleaning pads and novel fitment means securing and locating the pads in the device.

According to the invention the cleaning device comprises a hollow body part adapted to be connected to a source of suction, a hollow member extending from and open to said body part and apad of soft resilient material located in said hollow member and extending throughopenings on opposite sides of said member.

According to a further feature of the invention two or more hollow members extend from said body part in line and in parallel planes. The hollow members may be of tubular form and may be bifurcated to provide the opposed openings, and provided at their outer ends with detachable caps.

According to yet another feature of the invention the hollow members and pads may be of arcuate form to conform to the curvature of the slats of a Venetian blind.

According to still another feature the pads may be secured in locating means serving to centralise and locate the pads in the hollow members against displacement therethrough. The locating means may take the form of a pair of clamping members secured to each other through the pad.

Another aspect of the invention resides in the provision in a device of the above kind of a removable assembly pad and pad locating means. 4

In order that the invention and its manner of performance may be more fully described, reference will now be made to an embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of the cleaning--device of the embodiment;

FIGURE 2 is a sectional end view along the line 2--2 of FIGURE 1 in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of a removable pad and pad locating means in assembled form;

FIGURE 4 is an end sectional view along the line 4-4 of FIGURE 3 in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of a detachable end cap for a pad locating hollow member;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of part of the device showing the pad locating hollow member attached to the body part; and

FIGURE 7 is an end view of a hollow member and pad showing the method of cleaning a slat.

Referring to the drawings the cleaning device includes a hollow body part or manifold 5 provided with a connecting sleeve 6 for attachment to a source of suction which also serves as a handle for operating the device. Extending from body part 5 are a series of hollow mem- 3,045,275 Patented July 24, 1962 bers or fingers 7 equally spaced apart, in line and parallel to each other, and locating therein cleaning pads 8.

Finger members 7 are of arcuate form and bifurcated to provide opposed slots 9 through which pads 8 extend. 5 Fingers 7 are formed integral with body part 5 and connected through the body part and sleeve 6 with the source of suction.

Caps 1!) are flexible and detachably engaged on the outer ends of fingers 7, with flange 11 fitting into groove 12 in the cap 1%.

' Pads 8 formed of foam rubber, latex, foamplastic or other suitable material are of substantially rectangular form with their longitudinal edges 13 of arcuate form of similar curvature to the fingers 7 so as to conform to 15 the shape of conventional curved slats of Venetian blinds. e The pads 8 are fitted between clamping bars 14 and 15, also of arcuate form, along their longitudinal dimension, which bars provide a locating device for positioning the pads in the tubular fingers and preventing their displacemerit from their centralised position. Bar 14 is provided with extensions at each end terminating in a head part 16.

When the pads 8 are inserted into the tubular fingers 7 a head part 16 abuts against a lip (not shown) projecting into the opening at the junction of a finger 7 and the body part 5, the other head part 16 at the outer end is engaged between the two arcuate faced inward projections 17 in cap 10 when the cap is engaged on the outer end of a finger 7. When the pad and clamp and cap are assembled on the finger the pad is securely located in position.

Referring to FIGURES 1 and 2 it will be seen that the spaces between adjacent pads 8 are each sufiicient to accommodate a slat of a Venetian blind with sufficient 5 clearance to allow easy fitment of the device over the slats.

It will also be noted that the clamping bars 14 and 15 compress the cleaning pad '8 around its longitudinal medial area whilst allowing the full width or thickness of the pad to effectively seal the edges of slots 9. This compressing of the pad provides greater space in the fingers 7 for suction and provides instant and eifective opening of the slots 9 in the use of the device to achieve efiicient removal of dust on the slats.

FIGURE 7 depicts the method of using the device on a'slat 18. When the device is moved to the left as shown by the arrow in FIGURE 7 the pad 8 is distorted and bent to the right in contact with the slat thus breaking the seal between the pad and the left hand edge of slot 9 and allowing dust and other particles on the slat to be drawn into the finger member 7 and hence through body part 5 t0 the vacuum cleaner.

FIGURE 7 shows the pad acting on a slat to wipe off and brush the dirt in front of it and up towards slot 9 through which it is drawn by suction, and it will be appreciated that the upper edge of the pad will also clean the underside of the next higher slat in the blind.

The device can be moved along the slats in both direc-' tions between pairs of tapes and also introduced between a pair of tapes. Cleaning of the slats may be accomplished 60 by moving the pads over the upper sides of the slats with slight downward pressure and then without removing the device it can be pushed up against the underside of the slats and moved in one or both directions along the slats to clean the undersides.

It will be noted that the pad and clamping bar assemblies may be easily removed for cleaning of the pads after use.

The body part or manifold 5, sleeve 6 and fingers 7 70 may be conveniently formed as a one-piece plastic moulding. The clamping bars 14 and 15 and caps 10 may also be formed from suitable plastic if desired.

I claim:

1. A device for cleaning slatted structures such as Venetian blinds comprising a hollow body part adapted to be connected to a source of suction; two or more hollow arcuate members extending in line and in parallel planes from said body part and in communication therewith; and a pad of resilient material located in each hollow member so as to extend through openings on opposite sides of each member, with the adjacent edges of the pads spaced apart a distance sufficient to allow insertion of the pads between the slats, and each pad being of sulficient size and resiliency to effectively seal the said openings through which it extends, yet capable of distortion when engaged with the slats to break the seal and allow suction between it and an edge of an opening.

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein the pads and openings are of rectangular shape with the openings extending longitudinally of the hollow members.

3. A device for cleaning slatted structures such as Venetian blinds comprising a hollow body part adapted to be connected to a source of suction; two or more tubular hollow members extending arcuately in spaced alignment from said body part in communication therewith and closed at their outer ends by detachable cap members; and a substantially rectangular pad of resilient material located in each hollow member so as to extend through rectangular longitudinally extending apertures on opposite sides of each hollow member with the adjacent edges of the pads conforming to the curvature of the hollow members and spaced apart a distance sufiicient to allow insertion of the pads between the slats of a blind, and each pad being of sufficient size and resiliency to effectively seal the said apertures through which it extends, yet capable of distortion when engaged with the slats to break the seal and allow suction between it and an edge of an aperture.

4. A device for cleaning slatted structures such as Venetian blinds comprising a hollow body part adapted to be connected to a source of suction; two or more tubular hollow members extending arcuately in spaced alignment with said body part in communication therewith and closed at their outer ends by detachable cap members serving to locate a substantially rectangular pad of resilient material in each hollow member so as to extend through rectangular longitudinally extending diametrically opposed apertures in each hollow member with the adjacent edges of the pads conforming to the curvature of the hollow members and spaced apart a distance suflicient to allow insertion of the pads between the slats of a blind, and each pad being of a size and resiliency so as to effectively seal the said apertures through which it extends, yetcapable of distortion when pressed against a slat to break the seal and allow suction between it and an edge of an aperture.

5. A device according to claim 4 wherein the hollow members are bifurcated to provide the pad locating apertures.

6. A device according to claim 3 wherein each pad is secured to locating means serving to centralise and locate the pad in its hollow member.

7. A device according to claim 4 wherein each pad is secured between a pair of clamping members, one or both of said members extending beyond both ends of the pad to centralise and locate the pad in its hollow member against displacement therefrom.

8. A device for cleaning slatted structures such as Venetian blinds comprising a hollow elongated body part having a connecting sleeve adapted to be connected I to a source of suction; two or more tubular hollow members extending arcuately in spaced alignment from said body part in communication therewith and closed at their outer ends by detachable cap members serving to centralise and locate a substantially rectangular pad of latex material in each hollow member so as to extend through rectangular longitudinally extending diametrically opposed apertures in each hollow member with the adjacent edges of the pads conforming to the curvature of the hollow members and spaced apart a distance sufficient to allow insertion of the pads between the slats of a blind, and each pad being of a size and resiliency so as to effectively seal the said apertures through which it extends, yet capable of distortion when pressed against a slat to break the seal and allow suction between it and an edge of an aperture.

9. A device according to claim 8 wherein each pad is secured between a pair of elongated flat curved members engaging with the detachable cap at one end and with the body part at the other end to centralise and locate the pad in its hollow member.

10. A cleaning device according to claim 8 wherein the pad is composed of soft resilient material, and a pair of clamping members, between which the pad is secured, to centralize and locate the pad in its hollow member, against displacement therefrom.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,611,917 Ventsias et a1. Sept. 30, 1952 2,663,046 Goguen Dec. 22, 1953 2,856,625 Delactetaz Oct. 21, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 160,706 Australia Jan. 21, 1955 

